Physical Therapist Schools | Get Your Physical Therapy Degree - Water Mill NY

How to Choose a Physical Therapist Program near Water Mill 11976

Water Mill NY physical therapy school student with volunteer Earning a physical therapy degree near Water Mill NY is an essential first step to beginning a fulfilling career in the healthcare field. Physical therapists (PT) help people who have been incapacitated due to injury or illness regain mobility and function. But before they can practice and work with the rehabilitation of patients, they must get the proper education and training. A PT must also become licensed in all states, many requiring that the licensee receive a physical therapy degree from an accredited college. So prior to choosing a physical therapy school, it’s important to evaluate those you are looking at to make certain they will supply a quality education and satisfy your state’s licensing criteria. What you do not want to do is choose a college just because it happens to be the closest to your residence or it has the most affordable tuition. There are other important qualifications that must be evaluated besides cost and location. But before we discuss what those qualifications are and the questions you should be asking, we’ll cover what a physical therapist does and what the educational options are.

What Do Physical Therapists Do?

Water Mill NY physical therapist helping patient walk Physical therapists work in diverse locations, such as Water Mill NY hospitals, health clinics, assisted living facilities, rehab centers and health clubs. What the facilities all share in common is that they have the equipment for diagnosing and rehabilitating patients. As previously touched on, physical therapists help patients that are experiencing a lack of mobility and often pain due to illness or injury. After patient diagnosis, they design a program of treatment to address the mobility issues and lessen or eliminate any pain. They also try to stop any progression of the disability. Though the causes of disability necessitating physical therapy are abundant, they include:

Osteoporosis and Arthritis
Motor vehicle accidents
Head injuries.
Cardiac arrest.
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.
Burn injuries.
Hip Replacement.
Fibromyalgia.
Cerebral Palsy.

Licensed physical therapists work in close association with other Water Mill NY health professionals, including chiropractors, physicians, dentists and nurses. They may also supervise several physical therapy assistants who work under them in diagnosing and treating their patients. Something to take note of for anyone considering going into the physical therapy field, it is quite physically demanding. Physical therapists regularly lift heavy equipment as well as patients, and stand, crouch and kneel for extended periods of time on a daily basis.

Physical Therapist Degrees Offered

Water Mill NY physical therapist applying acupuncture to patient There are 3 physical therapy degree options offered for students to enroll in at the undergraduate and graduate levels. Of these options, the one degree that is available to practice as a physical therapist is the doctorate. Undergraduate degrees emphasize either preparing students to become a physical therapy assistant (PTA) or readying them to progress to the doctoral level. Following are brief explanations of degree levels that are available in the Water Mill NY area:

Associate Degrees train students to be physical therapy assistants, or can be the first step toward earning a more advanced degree. Applicants must have obtained a high school diploma or GED to qualify for enrollment. The programs are usually made available by junior or community colleges, and require 2 years for completion. An internship or other form of clinical training is usually a portion of the program.
Bachelor’s Degrees are created as pre-physical therapy education to ready candidates to move up to the doctoral level. While they are not a requirement to be qualified for the doctoral program, they are an important initial step to becoming a PT. As with the majority of bachelor’s degrees, they typically require four years to complete and often include an internship program of a minimum of 500 hours.
Doctorate Degrees are required in order to become a licensed practicing physical therapist. The degree program also must be accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE). After earning the bachelor’s degree, the doctoral takes 3 years to finish, making the total investment of time 7 years in the majority of cases. Clinical or practical training is an intregal element along with the substantial lab and classroom instruction. Consequently the fulfillment of an internship is required, not just for graduation but in some states for licensing also.

The Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) has replaced the Master’s of Physical Therapy (MPT), which has been eliminated and is no longer attainable in the United States. Some practicing physical therapists holding a master’s or in some cases a bachelor’s degree were “grandfathered” in prior to the existing licensing requirement for a doctorate was instituted.

Physical Therapist Online Colleges

woman attending physical therapy school online in Water Mill NY Although not as common as the on campus alternatives, there are many accredited online physical therapy programs offered, more so at the graduate level. Due to the hands-on nature of the training, clinical lab work and internships are incorporated with the online classes. This necessitates that the student live close to the college campus or in proximity of an available internship. However, the online portion of the curriculum can be accessed within the comfort and convenience of the student’s Water Mill NY residence. Online schools are not only to some extent more accessible, but in a number of cases more affordable. Tuition can be somewhat lower than comparable on campus alternatives, and expenditures for commuting are minimized. And a number of the online schools are accredited by the CAPTE, guaranteeing a quality education. These benefits can make the online option the best choice for those students that are motivated enough to attend classes at home.

What to Ask Physical Therapy Programs

By now you undoubtedly have made a decision regarding some of your preliminary questions, including the type of physical therapy degree you would like to attain, where you want to attend classes, and how much money you can afford to invest in your education. But since there are so many PT schools within the Water Mill NY area and throughout New York, you’ll have to explore additional qualifications as well so as to further reduce your list of college choices. Moreover, you need to make certain that you select the school that is best for you. That’s the reason we have compiled a list of essential questions that you need to ask the physical therapist programs you are thinking about. Ask all of the potential schools these questions prior to making an ultimate decision.

Is the Physical Therapy School Accredited? Ask if the schools you are reviewing have received accreditation from a national or a regional agency. As previously stated, if you are pursuing a doctorate the program must be accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE). If you enroll in an online college, it can also earn accreditation from the Distance Education and Training Council. It’s imperative that both the physical therapist program and school you choose are accredited, not just the school. Additionally, check that the accreditation is through a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged accrediting organization. Along with ensuring that you obtain a quality education, accreditation may be mandated for state licensing as well as for securing student loans or financial assistance.

What is the College’s Reputation? Along with accreditation, it’s imperative that the school and program you select have exceptional reputations within the physical therapist community. There are several ways you can research a PT program’s reputation, beginning with requesting references from employers that they place their graduates with. You may also check online reviews and rating services and ask the accrediting organizations for their reviews as well. Call a few Water Mill NY physical therapist clinics or other medical care facilities that you might have an interest in working for and ask if they can offer any recommendations about your school options. It might also be a good idea to check with the New York Attorney General and school licensing authority to find out if any complaints have been submitted against the schools.

What is the College’s Job Placement Rate? There are a couple of important statistics that you need to find out about each of the physical therapy programs you are reviewing. First is their graduation rate. A low rate may mean that students dropped out because of dissatisfaction with the program, the instructors, or both. After the students have graduated, what percentage of them are being hired with the support of the college’s job placement program, particularly in the Water Mill NY area? If a college has a high job placement rate, it’s an indication that its reputation within the medical care field is good or perhaps exceptional. It also affirms that the school has a large network of contacts to help students gain internships or employment after graduation.

Does the Program Prepare You For Licensing Requirements? It’s important that the school you enroll in provides both excellent training and a course of study that satisfies the licensing requirements for New York or the state where you will be practicing. In every state a passing score is needed on the National Physical Therapy Examination (NPTE) as well as a degree from an accredited physical therapist college. While licensing requirements fluctuate state by state for PTA and PT graduates, some states require a minimum amount of clinical hours be completed and passing scores on additional tests.

Are Internships Sponsored? Find out if the physical therapy programs you are evaluating have relationships with Water Mill NY clinics or hospitals for internship programs. Not only are internships a great means to obtain practical training in a clinical environment, they are additionally a requirement for the majority of PT programs and state licensing. As a supplemental benefit, they may assist students and graduates establish professional connections in the Water Mill medical community and assist with obtaining employment once licensed.

How Big are the Classes ? Unless you are the sort of student that prefers to sit far in the back of class or get lost in the crowd, you will probably want a smaller class size. Smaller classes allow for more individual participation and personalized instruction. Ask the physical therapy colleges you are reviewing what the typical student to teacher ratio is for their classes. If practical you may want to sit in on one or more classes before making your ultimate decision. This will also give you an opportunity to speak with several of the students and instructors to get their perspectives regarding the pharmacy tech program as well.

Where is the Program Located? For a number of students, the physical therapy college they pick will need to be within driving distance of their Water Mill NY home. Individuals who have decided to attend online classes obviously will not have to trouble themselves with the location of the campus. However, the availability of local internships will be of concern. One thing to bear in mind is that if you choose to enroll in a college that is out of state or even out of your local area, you might need to pay a higher tuition. State colleges usually charge higher tuitions for out of state residents. And community colleges commonly charge a higher tuition to those students that live outside of their districts.

Is Financial Help Offered? The majority of DPT colleges offer some type of financial assistance to their potential students. Inquire if the schools you are examining have a financial aid department and find out what type of aid is offered. At a minimum they should help in acquiring a student loan or any grants you may be eligible for. Some physical therapy schools provide scholarships, while others offer work programs. So before eliminating a school because the tuition is beyond your budget, find out what financial aid might be available.

Can the College Accommodate your Schedule? And last you must verify that the physical therapist college you finally choose can provide the class schedule you need. This is especially essential if you decide to continue working while attending school. If you need to schedule night or weekend classes in the Water Mill NY area, make certain that they are offered. If you can only enroll on a part-time basis, check if that is an alternative and how many courses or credit hours you would need to enroll in. Also, learn what the procedure is for making up any classes that you may miss because of work, illness or family emergencies.

Earning Your Physical Therapy Degree near Water Mill New York?

If you are planning on attending a Physical Therapy School in the Water Mill NY area, the following information may prove to be both interesting and educational regarding the location of your future Alma Mater.

Water Mill, New York

Water Mill is a hamlet of the Town of Southampton on Long Island and census-designated place (CDP) in Suffolk County, New York, United States. The population of the CDP was 1,559 at the 2010 census.[3] Its ZIP code is 11976.

In 1644, England gave Edward Howell 40 acres (16 ha) of land near the new settlement of Southampton to build a mill for settlers to grind their grain into meal. It became a landmark, and people began referring to other settlements that popped up as "east or west of the watermill." By the 1800s, the area was known as Water Mills and was later changed to Water Mill. Howell's Water Mill was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1983.[5] Today, the hamlet boasts its status as the only settlement on the South Fork of Long Island with both a functioning watermill and windmill. Today Water Mill is a resort community of beautiful beaches, farms and mega mansions. Celebrities and public figures such as Richard Gere, Jennifer Lopez, Matt Lauer, Senator Frank Lautenberg, Steven Schwartzman and Bruce Blakeman have homes or vacationed there. Louise Fitzhugh's young adult novel The Long Secret takes place in Water Mill.

Water Mill is located at 40° 55' 0" North, 72° 20' 50" West (40.916759, -72.347225).[6] According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 12.0 square miles (31.1 km2), of which 10.5 square miles (27.3 km2) is land and 1.5 square miles (3.8 km2), or 12.34%, is water.[3]

Pick the Best Physical Therapy Training Program near Water Mill NY

Picking the right physical therapy school is an important first decision you must make to begin a fulfilling career in the healthcare profession. As we have covered in this article, the DPT or PT degree program and college you choose should both have outstanding reputations and accreditation. However there are additional critical questions that you need to ask pertaining to your school of choice also. As you commence your search for a physical therapy school, keep in mind that many factors will lead you to your final decision. You may decide to go to each of the colleges to see their facilities and talk to current DPT students. While there, ask yourself this important question: will this program help me realize my goal of becoming a practicing licensed physical therapist? By following our list of supplemental questions, you will have the ability to narrow down the options so you can make the appropriate selection. And with the proper education and training, you can achieve your dream of becoming a practicing physical therapist in Water Mill NY.